title: DNA adducts and strand breaks in workers exposed to vapours and aerosols of bitumen: associations between exposure and effect.
abstract: To study the associations between exposure to vapours and aerosols of bitumen and genotoxic effects, a cross-sectional and cross-shift study was conducted in 320 exposed workers and 118 non-exposed construction workers. Ambient air measurements were carried out to assess external exposure to vapours and aerosols of bitumen. Hydroxylated metabolites of naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene were measured in urine, whereas (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide ((+)-anti-BPDE), 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8oxodGuo) and DNA strand breaks were determined in blood. Significantly higher levels of 8-oxodGuo adducts and DNA strand breaks were found in both pre- and post-shift blood samples of exposed workers compared to those of the referents. No differences between exposed workers and referents were observed for (+)-anti-BPDE. Moreover, no positive associations between DNA damage and magnitude of airborne exposure to vapours and aerosols of bitumen could be observed in our study. Additionally, no relevant association between the urinary metabolites of PAH and the DNA damage in blood was observed. Overall, our results indicate increased oxidative DNA damage in workers exposed to vapours and aerosols of bitumen compared to non-exposed referents at the group level. However, increased DNA strand breaks in bitumen workers were still within the range of those found in non-exposed and healthy persons as reported earlier. Due to the lack of an association between oxidative DNA damage and exposure levels at the workplaces under study, the observed increase in genotoxic effects in bitumen workers cannot be attributed to vapours and aerosols of bitumen.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany. marczynski@ipa-dguv.de
authors.forename: Boleslaw
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marczynski
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raulf-Heimsoth
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spickenheuer
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pesch
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kendzia
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mensing
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Engelhardt
authors.forename: Eun-Hyun
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Birgit K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heinze
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Welge
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bramer
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Angerer
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Breuer
authors.forename: Heiko U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Käfferlein
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brüning
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D020552:Comet Assay; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004247:DNA / Q000187:drug effects; D018736:DNA Adducts / Q000097:blood; D053960:DNA Breaks; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; D018736:DNA Adducts; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; C006647:asphalt; D004247:DNA